Girth.



v l Patented Mar. 25, |902. R. L. UWENS.

GIB-TH.

(Applimikm med Nov. 14, woo.) (Ilo Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

ROBERT L. OVENS, OF OZONA, TEXAS.

GIRTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,259, dated March 25, 1902.

i Application filed November 14, 1900.- Serial No. 36,510. (No model.)

To aZZ'wwm/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. OwENs,a citizen of the United States, residing at Ozona, in the county of Crockett and Stateof Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Girths; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to saddles in general, and more particularly to the girtlistliereof, or what is known as the cinch-strap, the object of the invention being to provide a construction wherewith the saddle may be quickly and firmly secured to or removed from a horse with a minimum of labor, a'further object of the invention being to provide a construction wherein there will be no sticking of the-straps and in which the parts are simple, cheap, and durable.

Further objects and advantages ofthe invention'will be evident from the vfollowing description.

In the drawings forming a portionof this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts -in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the cinch-strap, with its attachments.

Fig. -2 is a longitudinal section taken throughv the strap and its attachments. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the buckle of the strap.

Referring now to the drawings, the buckle of the device consists of av blank 5 of steel or other suitable metal 'and comprises a body portion 6, having one end tapered, as shown -at 7, this tapered portion being bent upwardly and forwardly to forma hook 8, the.

bill of which lies above the body 0f theV blank and the web 9 of which is bent to project inwardly -between the bill of the hook and the Ybody of the blank, whereby the hook may fit pivotally moved into and out of contact with the under side of the bill of the hook. At the opposite angle of the triangular head is formed a cylindrical stem 14, which forms va buckle-tongue proper, while the head or body kportion 13 forms merely the keeper for the presently explained. In connection with this combined hook and buckle there is employed a loop 25, having two parallel bars 26y and 27 at one side thereof, the bar'27 lying within the inclosure of the ring and having a roller .28 thereon, while bar 2G forms a side of the loop. This loop 25 is adapted for attachment with one end of a short girthstrap or cinch-strap secured to one side of the saddle, while the hook 8 is adapted for engagement with a ring attached to the opposite side of the saddle by means of a short strap. -A cinch-strap 30 is attached at one end to the bar 26 and is then taken around roller 21, then backwardly and around roller 28, and then forwardly and around roller 19, said strap having a series of perforations 31 therein adapted to successively receive the stem 14,. said strap being passed over the roller'19 inihat direction to insure a pull of the stem 14 down upon roller 19 when strain is applied to the strap. With this construction it will be seen that with the hook 8 engagedwith the cinch-ring the strap may be adjusted to any desired point and engaged with the stem 14, when the strain upon the strap will draw said stem down upon roller 19 and th-row the head 13 against the underface of the bill ofhook 8 and will prevent disenf engage the hook 8 with the cinch-ring andv IOO draw on the cinch-strap 30 to the proper extent and then move the strap to engage the stem 14 with a perforation thereof when all parts will be held firmly in place. Conversely by loosening the strap 30 slightly the hook may be disengaged from the cinch-rin g and the saddle removed.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings there is shown an attachment for adapting an ordinary ring for use in connection with the present buckle and strap. This consists of a bar 40, having its ends bifnrcated and formed to engage the sides of a ring, said bar having a roller 41 thereon, the ends of the bifurcations being bent around the ring to hold it in place.

It will be further seen that with the present invention the sections of the strap 30 are held separated, thus preventing sticking when they become damp.

What is claimed is- In a device of the class described, a buckle comprising a plate having a narrowed end bent to form ahook, the material of the plate adjacent to the bill of the hook being struck up to form parallel ears, slots in the body of the plate in the rear of the ears, and a tongue pivoted between the ears at a point intermediate of the ends of the tongue and disposed I 

